bus

[ buhs ]

/ bʌs /

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noun, plural bus·es, bus·ses.

a large motor vehicle, having a long body, equipped with seats or benches for passengers, usually operating as part of a scheduled service; omnibus.

(formerly) a similar horse-drawn vehicle.

a passenger automobile or airplane used in a manner resembling that of a bus.

any vehicle operated to transport children to school.

a low, movable filing cabinet.

Electricity.Also called bus bar, bus·bar

[buhs-bahr]. /ˈbʌsˌbɑr/. a heavy conductor, often made of copper in the shape of a bar, used to collect, carry, and distribute powerful electric currents, as those produced by generators.

Computers. a circuit that connects the CPU with other devices in a computer.

verb (used with object), bused or bussed, bus·ing or bus·sing.

to convey or transport by bus: to bus the tourists to another hotel.

to transport (pupils) to school by bus, especially as a means of achieving socioeconomic or racial diversity among students in a public school.

verb (used without object), bused or bussed, bus·ing or bus·sing.

to travel on or by means of a bus: We bused to New York on a theater trip.

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Idioms about bus

throw (someone or something) under the bus, Informal. to abandon or sacrifice to an imminent negative outcome for expedience or profit, or to protect oneself and one's interests: The accused was asked to testify against Tony, but he refused to save himself by throwing his pal under the bus.

Origin of bus

First recorded in 1825–35; short for omnibus; def. 6 short for omnibus bar

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH bus

bussed , bust

Words nearby bus

burying beetle, burying ground, bury one's head in the sand, Bury St. Edmunds, bury the hatchet, bus, busbar, busboy, busby, Busch, busera

Other definitions for bus (2 of 3)

bus²

[ buhs ]

/ bʌs /

verb (used with or without object), bused or bussed, bus·ing or bus·sing.

to work or act as a busboy or busgirl: She bused for her meals during her student days.

Origin of bus

First recorded in 1830–40; back formation from busboy

Other definitions for bus (3 of 3)

bus.

abbreviation

business.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bus in a sentence

A county spokesperson in Texas said that only 15 to 20 people were being placed on buses rather than the usual 50, and there were concerns about having large numbers of people sheltering in one place.
Hurricane Laura is the strongest storm to hit Louisiana in more than a century|Sara Chodosh|August 28, 2020|Popular-Science
A school bus driver, Gladden was out of work for the summer.
She Was Sued Over Rent She Didn’t Owe. It Took Seven Court Dates to Prove She Was Right.|by Danielle Ohl, Capital Gazette, and Talia Buford and Beena Raghavendran, ProPublica|August 25, 2020|ProPublica
Officers employed by the Metropolitan Transit System, which runs many of the region’s buses and trolleys, cited a man last year for failing to comply with their orders.
Morning Report: 3 Body Cameras, No Footage|Voice of San Diego|July 22, 2020|Voice of San Diego
Last week, the agency responsible in San Diego for the buses and trolleys decided to pull back on a program to catch more people who ride without paying.
Morning Report: Police Reformers Are Coming for MTS|Voice of San Diego|June 25, 2020|Voice of San Diego

Together they form teams that patrol stations, buses and trolleys.
The Police Reform Push Comes for MTS|Lisa Halverstadt and Jesse Marx|June 25, 2020|Voice of San Diego
Occasionally a pamphlet for a salsa class might be tossed on a doorstop or stuck on a pole near a bus stop.
Iran’s Becoming a Footloose Nation as Dance Lessons Spread|IranWire|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The detectives learned early on that Brinsley had arrived by bus in Manhattan.
Exclusive: Inside a Cop-Killer’s Final Hours|Michael Daly|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At the music studio, Brinsley would arrive by train or bus to break into the music scene.
Alleged Cop Killer’s Blood-Soaked Screenplay|M.L. Nestel|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the video, the bus is getting searched by a cop with a German shepherd.
Alleged Cop Killer Ismaaiyl Brinsley Had a Death Wish|M.L. Nestel|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A few children, settler children, congregate near what appears to have been the bus station.
Inside Hebron, Israel’s Heart of Darkness|Michael Tomasky|November 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Passengers are requested not to stand on top of the Bus back seats for smoking.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 158, April 28, 1920|Various
And the same goes for any other common carrier—the railroads, bus service, and airlines.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
Buying an evening paper—wearing a waistcoat again—running after a bus—anything—it's all holiday.
First Plays|A. A. Milne
Henri crawled under the bus, though the policeman was extremely anxious to keep him out.
The Amazing Interlude|Mary Roberts Rinehart
Coming up she had sat on top of the bus and watched with wide curious, eyes the strange traffic of London.
The Amazing Interlude|Mary Roberts Rinehart

British Dictionary definitions for bus

bus

/ (bʌs) /

noun plural buses or busses

a large motor vehicle designed to carry passengers between stopping places along a regular routeMore formal name: omnibus Sometimes called: motorbus

short for trolleybus

(modifier) of or relating to a bus or busesa bus driver; a bus station

informal a car or aircraft, esp one that is old and shaky

electronics computing short for busbar

the part of a MIRV missile payload containing the re-entry vehicles and guidance and thrust devices

astronautics a platform in a space vehicle used for various experiments and processes

miss the bus to miss an opportunity; be too late

verb buses, busing, bused, busses, bussing or bussed

to travel or transport by bus

mainly US and Canadian to transport (children) by bus from one area to a school in another in order to create racially integrated classes

Word Origin for bus

C19: short for omnibus

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

bus

Idioms about bus

Origin of bus

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH bus

Words nearby bus

Other definitions for bus (2 of 3)

Origin of bus

Other definitions for bus (3 of 3)

Words related to bus

How to use bus in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bus

Word Origin for bus